Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I’m not afraid…ok so who am I kidding?

I’m addicted.

I guess a whole lot of the people I interact with are addicts too…and our fix is that lethal S substance. It’s the whole reason we sit through insane inane meetings every week. The reason we roll out of bed on a weekday morning…whimpering on the realization that it is not the weekend.

I’m talking about salaries.

A quick glance on my timeline each morning has people griping about what day of the week it is. (incidentally, twitter makes for a GREAT calendar for tracking days of the week)

The mood becomes positively electric as the end of the month approaches. It's like everyone has been given a shot of euphoria…offers to throw rounds (at least in the preMututho era) and parties all round..

Then a week later, the griping begins.

But what happens when the opportunity to wean yourself off a salary comes along?

I’m kinda struggling with that. A young startup with a great deal of promise has approached me and said the dreaded words: “Lets deal”

Now they don’t have the same organizational structures as my employer. They don’t have the medical packages and cushy allowances. They are promising insane hours and a very real threat of public humiliation should Murphy begin to actively enforce his laws. And the product they want to take to market will put me squarely in the glare of the public.

If it does go well, its still not all deviled eggs, caviar and pink champagne. There are a list of heavy hitters who have sunk quite a bit of their money and they are expecting a handsome return. So in terms of payoff..I’d way over there in the back of the park.

That said and done, I do know that the path to wealth does not have salary affixed to it. Every company alive today did so because an individual somewhere stood up and decided to create something. And the urge to create something and leave a legacy is pushing hard on me…

I have to make that call soon. Whether it turns out to be right or wrong is immaterial for now. What counts for me is the courage to choose the path less trodden.

Speaking as a recovering S addict, I would tell you that it is not the easiest decision to make. Ultimately I had to ask myself two questions1) Can I afford to do this at this particular time in my life? 2) Can I afford NOT to do this now?All the best - we can talk about Sal Anon when you are on the other side :)

Hey, I wish you all the the best but mostly courage. I'm in the same situation myself only I'm the one with the start up. It's a crazy feeling but I think I'd go mad if I didn't do it. Let go of that salary addiction, but have a little money stashed away for a rainy day.

About Me

This is your afri-geek dude..technophile that truly and soulfully believes that tech and its potential to change lives in Africa. I've been on a journey to discover what my contribution to this reality is.